1. Do you cosplay as certain characters from the book/the movies, or do you have an OC?

I like playing generic, "crewman #6" types, because to me, the common soldiers were the real heroes in the stories. Besides... that way, you don't have to look exactly like any one character. ^^
Aside from that, I do have an extremely developed OC, Narthas of Gondolin, and should very much like to cosplay him someday.

2. What got you into the fandom and when did you start cosplaying from it?

I have to say it was the movies that got me into the fandom, and the movies that got me into costuming as well... I went to go see RotK dressed as a Helm's Deep Elf.

3. The movies - what do you think? Great inspiration or totally off?

Fabulous. There are a few things that I nitpick at though, like the impracticality of some of the Elves' armor, but other than that I think it is a great resource and should be considered as canonical as it can get.

I've got two Elf costumes and one Ithilien Ranger costume, but I've had plenty of wanting to do much more from the realm of men. I associate with them the most (being one myself), Gondor in particular. I'd love to make a Haradrim costume, though, redo my ranger costume, and perhaps come up with something that a soldier of Dol Amroth would wear.

I play too, started with the Open Beta and it's amazing and I have actually considered cosplaying as my character lol

I think it's funny how people nitpick about the lack of PvP in the game, but the monster-play is more than anyone could ask for imho.

Also about the movies I think they did a great job (can't wait for The Hobbit.) I think they set the standard for how all the other LOTR should look. That's why I'm kinda disapointed with the online game, they're not the best at comming up with how languages should sound (i.e. Elvish in the game is not as pretty as it is in the movie.)

I admit I was kind of blessed the time I did LoTR with some friends. I always liked the Hobbits and Gandalf... so I realized early on either choice I went with didn't involve the armor designs some of my friends faced.

I ended up going as a Wizard, and the toughest part was just getting a staff that looked decent. I spent like two months shopping around, and finally found one at store near me that handles auctions of unwanted stuff for people. Like Ebay, only without the internet. Was beautifully hand carved, and was dirt cheap too. It had obviously been made by someone with a hobby in woodworking which was kind of cool, because it didn't look factory made.

As for LoTR online... I tried it once, but just didn't ever get into it. I thought it was a pretty solid game, it did just the right amount of copying other MMORPGs before it yet also bringing in it's own unique ideas that it was fun, stood out, and was certainly not a bad game. It just didn't grab me. I think it's just, well, Tolkien. Trying to cover that to fantasy fans is like trying to cover the bible for baptists. Plus it may just be I'm burnt on fantasy MMORPGs though, I'm waiting for Stargate before I do MMORPGs again. I can totally see why folks could like it, it's just for me his world will stay in his books for me.

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********** I assure everyone despite my VERY long absence (and insurgent efforts), No I am NOT dead

"Yeah I know... all I got is several non-CP shots in my gallery... not all of us first timers can Macguyver together a costume from two pieces of dental floss, a stick of chewing gum, and an apple core like Mandy can."
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LotR was actually what really got me ino costuming! I absolutely adored the costume designs, so I would sit for hours on the net and save pictures and look at all these wonderful costume replicas people were making! It's what started me thinking that perhaps I could make costumes too!!

I'm most definitely a Rohirrim, without a doubt! I'm very much like Eowyn, feisty and not at all ladylike :P Plus I'm very much an earthy person, not like the elves :P Eowyn is definitely my favourite character, though I look more like Arwen with my pale skin and dark hair.

Thus far I've done one LotR costume - Eowyn's Shieldmaiden outfit. I was so happy with how it turned out, I think it's my best costume thus far (apart from my Victorian bustle dress, but that's not cosplay). I would like to make a few other Eowyn costumes - white wool, green gown, Dernhelm, Refugee and coat, Coronation. I'd also like to make Arwen's Chase dress and her mourning gown.

Eowyn is definitely my favourite character, though I look more like Arwen with my pale skin and dark hair.

Isn't that typical? I look more like a hobbit (short and curly hair) but prefer the Elves. *g*

I'd love to see some pictures of your Eowyn dress - she had some gorgeous costumes, too.

I want to expand my wardrobe a little so badly, but as I'm busy making four costumes for YaoiCon, they have to be finished first before I dare venture into anything else. I also want to make Eth's spear - I have it in my head but just don't have the time - or the room, really - to make it right now. Sigh.

Hehehe it's always the way! I'm too tall to be a hobbit and not quite tall enough to be an elf (though I am tall for a chicky), so I'm happy with being a plain old human :P

I have some pictures Here in my photobucket. I was always more of a fan of her outfits because they're feminine and fitted rather than being columny and rectaingular like the elves. And this is probably my favourite of her outfits! And please excuse the brown hair, I actually had ordered a wig, but the company waited until two weeks after I ordered it to inform me they could no longer get the colour I wanted, and it didn't leave enough time to order a different one.

I totally know the feeling! I have fabric for the chase dress, but just no time to make it because I have other costumes to work on, plus making normal clothes that I need for everyday!

To my shame, I only read the books after I saw Fellowship. :P I had tried reading The Hobbit as a kid and couldn't get into it, and didn't bother trying until the movies came out many years later.

I fell in love with Arwen's Blood Red dress right from the earliest promo material (and was driven nuts by the fact that it didn't appear until ROTK); I also love her coronation gown, but pale green is really not my colour; I'd look like a zombie.

I do really want to do a Luthien costume, but don't know when it'll be since I have about a billion other costumes on my to-do list, and very little time.

I love Arwen's Blood red gowns as well, but I'm just not lithe enough to pull them off! I really love the design of the mourning gown (hence why I want to do it :P).

Thank you so much Schuldig! I absolutely LOVE the corset It tooke me about an hour to mark all the lines for the quilting, and then about another hour to sew them all! But it turned out so nicely, I absolutely love it to pieces. Plus it gives me a great figure! I just wish I had a decent blonde wig to go with it.

Heehee - good to know that now the movie hype has died down there are still some LOTR cosplayers out there! I've been a fan of LOTR since I read The Hobbit, LOTR and the Silmarilian (sp?) years ago, although I didn't get into the costuming aspect until I saw the gorgeous designs used in the film versions.

I've chosen to cosplay Arwen in particular because I love her character and I think I look most like her as opposed to the other characters. So far I've done her Coronation and Blood Red gowns, but in the future I'd love to do her Requiem, Mourning, and Chase outfits.

I had been doing LOTR Costuming since 2002 now and still doing it, looking around for materials and trimming, tho' my target now is to complete most of my costumes and Armors in time for the next movies release. Been trying to revive the LOTR Costumes Team here but we all got a little sidetracked with other costumes the past 2 years tho' we forsee a revival in time for The Hobbit movie release. Most had confirmed their involvement.

1. Do you cosplay as certain characters from the book/the movies, or do you have an OC?

I had done Arwen, Eowyn, Haldir and Ringwraith No. 2 ("I should be in charge!" ) so far and for the first 3, am still working on some of their other outfits and itching to redo my Ringwraith Outfit.

For Original Character, I have one and she is the Captain of the Eastern Borders Marchwardens of Lothlorien. She pretty Tomboy, having grown up tailing her brother most of the time while living at Lindon and Rivendell. Doesn't help too when Lady Galadriel choose to make her the 2nd person in charge with the Lothlorien Marchwardens, right below her brother. As for her race, it's pretty rojak (messed-up) as she seems to have all the bloodline of the Elves Races except the Sindar Elves!
I had so far roughly created 4 Outfits for her with one of them got its materials at hand.

2. What got you into the fandom and when did you start cosplaying from it?

Some time in 2002, my Star Wars friends recommended that we repeat the success of our SW Costumes Parade cum AOTC Movie Screening with LOTR. That got me picking up the books that my elder brother gotten for my younger brother (who doesn't read ), watching FOTR and doing research online for the costumes I'm interested in. Don my first LOTR Costume in 2003 and since then it had been a long-time addiction, just like with my SW and Harry Potter Costuming Hobby. Never stop "working" on the costumes and armors with half of my cloths stash is meant for LOTR Costumes.

Love the books (and that include the rest like The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Hobbit, HoME etc) and love how the movie had turned out.
Strangely, The Silmarillion is my favourite book.

3. The movies - what do you think? Great inspiration or totally off?

I see each medium having its own Pros and Cons.

I feel that PJ and Co. had done a good job adapting the books to the movies that will please even the regular movie goers and turning non-fans into LOTR Fanatics. Feel that he had made the correct decision in elimination certain characters or redoing certain scenes in order to make the movie less cheezy and "redeeming" others at the end like Glorfindel (but he's too young looking! :P ). I also prefer Aragorn in the movies than in the books.

The Costumes and Props Department had also done a GREAT job with the items, putting in a good amount of historical influences to give the movies a "Real-Life" feelings without making anything too cheezy (ugh! I kinda hate some of the outfits used for the LOTR Musical). I was amazed when I get to examine the original costumes and props before packing them, at how "like real" the things are like Anduril is a fully balanced sword while the Kings of Men Crowns or Rohirrim Helmets are real Bronze etc.

Anyhow, the movies was what inspired me to pay more attentions to materials and methods in the contruction of my costumes, apart from making me a LOTR Fan.

I usually go for Elves when I do LOTR Costuming as their characteristic is what I love.

Maybe that's why I love The Silmarillion as it's mostly the story of the Elves.

Btw, the LOTR Costuming Fandom never did die; if it had been the case, LOTR_Costume Mailing List would had been dead for months at a go. The Website is in need of updates tho but I understand Cat got a lot more RL issues to settle. Had been holding back some of my contributions to a later date when she's free again to update the website.